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Gay Essential Films To Watch, The Raspberry Reich

The Raspberry Reich begins in a striking and erotic scene introducing Gudrun (Susanne Sachsse) and her cell of homosexual insurgent—as Gudrun demands that her co-revolutionary and favourite lover Holger (Daniel Bätscher) take their explosive lovemaking into the hall and elevator of their apartment building while Clyde (Anton Dickson) performs bizarre fellatio on a handgun. The group Gudrun leads claims to be dedicated to overthrowing heterosexual, bourgeois notions through constant, promiscuous, and often public sex intended to unsettle their neighbours and society.

To try to get more power and leverage, Gudrun organizes the kidnapping of a wealthy industrialist’s son, Patrick (Andreas Rupprecht) with the intention of ransoming him to get funds for the group. A mistake with some handcuffs leads to Clyde being thrown in the boot of the get-away car along with the hostage. While the rest of the group get lunch, the two of them in the boot have sex. As it turns out, Patrick’s father cut him off from all the family’s wealth when he came out. Patrick’s attachment to Clyde, though, makes him reluctant to tell them this and leave the group.

Gudrun’s excessive control finally causes the group to break up, but the film revisits them in an epilogue. Several members of the group are happily settled in the relationships that began in the cell, Patrick and Clyde have run away to rob banks together, and Gudrun and Holger have had a child which Gudrun hopes will carry on the next generation of the revolution.

Critics

“The spirit of May ’68 lives on in acts of 69 in punk-porn polemicist and cinema poacher Bruce LaBruce’s far-out saga of fellating freedom fighters.”—TimeOut

“This is a riotous piece of alternative filmmaking with the added bonus of a fantastic soundtrack”—FilmLand Empire

Did You Know?

One of the most memorable aspects of The Raspberry Reich is the visual design, with the cell’s apartment filled with classic radical-leftist imagery. Unfortunately, that visual design created some problems: Albert Korda’s iconic portrait of Che Guevara is prominently featured in several scenes, but was used without the artist’s permission. The film was consequently banned from being shown in France, and the filmmakers had to pay a fine for copyright infringement. Review our Gay Themed Films Here

Launched in June 2014, Gay Essential is the world’s largest gay themed film blog promoting new and rare features. I am helped by some amazing writers and we also cover film festivals in the UK and USA. We are 100% independent, without advertising or funding by film distributors. Help to keep Gay Essential independent by purchasing our merchandise GET (Gay Essential Tees)